Bozeman, MontanaBozeman Ski Accident
Bozeman Ski Accident Lawyers: Big Sky Resort, Bridger Bowl, Chairlift and Skier Collision Injuries
Boland Aarab PLLP.
If you were hurt skiing or snowboarding at Bridger Bowl or Big Sky Resort, you may have a claim when the injury came from someone’s carelessness rather than the inherent risks of the sport. Montana does not protect a ski area from its own negligence, or a skier who crashes into you while out of control. Most claims must be filed within three years.
Hurt on the mountain near Bozeman? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
Which ski areas serve Bozeman, and why does it matter which one?
Two very different ski areas are within an hour of town, and the one where you were hurt affects who is responsible and where a case is heard.
- Bridger Bowl is a nonprofit community ski area at 15795 Bridger Canyon Road, north of Bozeman on Montana Highway 86 (Bridger Bowl). It is a local hill for many Gallatin Valley families and MSU students, with steep terrain below the Bridger Ridge. Bridger Bowl is in Gallatin County, so a lawsuit would be filed in the Eighteenth Judicial District Court in Bozeman.
- Big Sky Resort, reached by U.S. 191 through Gallatin Canyon and Montana 64 (Lone Mountain Trail), is one of the largest ski resorts in the country by acreage and includes the former Moonlight Basin terrain and the Lone Peak Tram (Big Sky Resort). The Big Sky community straddles the county line, and the resort’s mountain terrain lies largely in Madison County, which belongs to the Fifth Judicial District, not the Eighteenth (§ 3-5-101, MCA). The exact location of the injury decides which state court is proper.
Both counties are in the Butte Division of the U.S. District Court (D. Mont. L.R. 1.2). Many injured skiers at Big Sky are visitors from other states who flew into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport; a case between an out-of-state skier and a Montana defendant, or the other way around, may be heard in federal court in Butte.
What happens after a ski injury near Bozeman?
On the mountain. Ski patrol responds and writes an incident report. Ask for the patroller’s name and write down the run, the lift and the time. If another skier hit you, get that person’s name and contact information. Montana requires a skier involved in a collision not to leave without giving identification or notifying the proper authorities (§ 23-2-736, MCA).
Medical care. Injuries at Big Sky are often seen first at Big Sky Medical Center, a trauma receiving facility with trauma rooms and a helipad at 334 Town Center Avenue. Serious injuries from either mountain are taken to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center, the area’s ACS Level 3 / State Area Trauma Hospital (DPHHS, Nov. 2025; Bozeman Health).
Preserve the evidence. A ski area’s incident report, lift maintenance logs, grooming records, trail status for the day, and any video are in the operator’s hands. We send a preservation demand early. Keep your skis or board, bindings, boots and helmet as they were, and save photos, phone video and any GPS track from a ski app.
The drive home counts too. Many ski-day injuries happen on the way, on Bridger Canyon Road or on U.S. 191 in the canyon. Those are auto claims, and a separate set of rules applies.
Montana law that applies
Our Montana ski accident lawyer page explains the ski statutes in depth. In brief:
- A skier accepts responsibility for injuries from the inherent dangers and risks of skiing as the statute defines them (§ 23-2-702; § 23-2-736, MCA). The list has limits: avalanches on open, machine-groomed trails, and equipment that was not clearly visible or plainly marked, are outside it.
- A ski area operator owes a duty of reasonable care, including lighted grooming vehicles, marked snowmaking equipment, trail boards and daily open/closed designations (§ 23-2-733, MCA). The statutes cannot be read to immunize an operator from its own negligence (Mead v. M.S.B., Inc. (Mont. 1994)).
- Lifts must be built, operated and maintained to current standards (§ 23-2-734, MCA).
- Other skiers must control their speed and course to avoid injuring others (§ 23-2-736).
- The general recreation release statute does not apply to skiing (§ 27-1-754, MCA), so a lift-ticket or pass release deserves a close look.
- 3 years to file most claims (§ 27-2-204, MCA).
What kinds of ski cases can succeed?
Many ski injuries are inherent risks, and we will tell you honestly if yours is. The cases with a real claim tend to involve:
- Lift accidents, such as falls during loading or unloading, a chair that struck a skier, or a mechanical failure.
- Collisions with ski-area vehicles, including snowmobiles and snowcats driven by employees, or grooming equipment without required lights.
- Unmarked hazards the operator created, such as a snowmaking hydrant or a rope line left unmarked.
- Reckless skiers and snowboarders who hit someone from above.
- Ski school and rental shop negligence, such as bindings set incorrectly for the skier’s weight and ability.
Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Bozeman case?
Ski cases are technical and defended by resort insurers who know the statutes well. We are based in Great Falls, handle cases across Montana, and our attorneys travel to Bozeman, Big Sky, Virginia City or Butte for depositions, hearings and trial. We do not have a Bozeman office. If you live in another state and were hurt on a Montana trip, we can handle the case here while you recover at home.
The Boland Aarab Way
- Trial preparation. Our attorneys have spent more than 4,000 hours in the courtroom.
- Federal court experience. More than 40 cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana over nine years, useful for visiting skiers whose cases land in the Butte Division. Samir Aarab has argued twice before the Ninth Circuit.
- Appellate record. The Montana Supreme Court reinstated a $168,500 jury verdict for our client (Voegel v. Salsbery, 2023 MT 137); our appellate record reaches back to 1977.
- You work with the lawyers. Caitlin Boland Aarab and Samir Aarab handle your case themselves.
We also handle brain injury cases in Bozeman and spinal cord injury cases in Bozeman. See our Bozeman personal injury page for more.
Frequently Asked Questions
I was hurt at Big Sky Resort. Is my case filed in Bozeman? Not necessarily. Much of the resort’s ski terrain is in Madison County, which is in the Fifth Judicial District. The exact location of the injury decides the state court; either way, the federal court is the Butte Division.
A snowboarder hit me at Bridger Bowl and left. What can I do? Report it to ski patrol right away and give them any description. Montana requires a skier involved in a collision to identify themselves or notify authorities, and patrol records and witnesses can help find the rider.
Does my Big Sky or Bridger Bowl season pass waiver bar a claim? Not necessarily. Montana’s general recreation release statute does not apply to skiing, and older Montana law treats releases of liability for negligence with suspicion. We review the pass agreement in every case.
I fell while unloading a chairlift. Is that an inherent risk? Not automatically. Operators must operate and maintain lifts to current standards, and a chair that struck you or a lift attendant who failed to slow or stop the lift can support a claim.
I live out of state and was injured on a ski trip to Big Sky. Can you help? Yes. We can handle the Montana case while you recover at home, and our attorneys travel for the parts of the case that must happen here.
Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
